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A. 0. MQNEAL AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR TELEGRAPH KEYS. v No. 335,605. Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

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ANDRE\V C. MONEAL, OF GEIGERSVILLE, KEN TUOKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO WILLIAM H. TYREE, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATEC CIRCUIT=CLOSER FOR TELEGRAPI-t- -KIEYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,605, dated February 9, 1886.

Application filed August 20, 1885. Serial No. l74,859. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, A. G. MONEAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Geigersville,in the county of Carter and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic OircuitOlosing Telegraph-Keys, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has relation to telegraph-keys and to automatic circuit-closers for the same; and the object of the invention is to provide a device for automatically closing the circuit through the key after the operator has finished using it, and thus prevent all difficulty incident to the circuit being accidentally left open; and to this end the novelty consists in a secondary lever having a knob projecting through and above the key-button, which will be depressed to the level of the key-button when the latter is grasped by the fingers in the act of operating the key, so that the other end of the lever will be raised and break contact with the anvil, leaving the circuit free to be controlled by the key as long as it is being operated, and when released the said lever will fall by gravity; or it may be actuated by a spring to restore contact and close the circuit, as will be hereinafter more fully eX- plained.

In the accompanying drawings the same letters of reference indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved key, and having the circuit closed through the auxiliary lever; and Fig. 2 is a detail of the same, showing the circuit open and a spiral spring substituted for the weight shown in Fig. 1. i

A is the base, B the lever, O the button, a a a the adjusting-screws, and D the anvil, together with the platina points, one of which, b, is secured to the key-lever B, and the other, 0, secured to the anvil insulated from the base A, the whole being of the ordinary form and construction.

E is an auxiliary lever fulcrumed in a standard, e, secured to the lever B. One end of the lever E is provided with a knob, F, which projects through a hole in the button 0, and

the other end is forked to straddle a vertical rod, H, between two collars, h h. This rod H works in a guide-hole, t, in the key-lever and in asimilar hole, i, in abracket, I, secured to the said key-lever.

Upon the upper end of the rod His a weight, K, which serves to carry its lower end, k, downward to establish connection with the anvil D when the finger has released the knob F. This rod may be made of platinum, or onlyits end it tipped with said metal where it forms a contact with the anvil. A portion. of the anvil D is cutaway to make a recess, d, where the end 7c of the rod H comes in contact with it, so as to form a sliding or frictional contact at this point, and thereby insure a perfect contact by brushing or rubbing off any oxide that may be formed and removing any dust or dirt that may have accumulated.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 a spiral spring, L, is substituted for the weight K, as it is obvious this change may be made or a leaf-spring used for the same purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In operation my improved key is used as follows: The key being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the circuit is closed through thevertical rod H, being held in contact with the an vil D by the action of the weight K, and while in this position the knob F of the auxiliary lever E projects above the key-button G.

In grasping the button in the usual manner to begin operating, the first two fingers are placed on top, while the thumb projects a short distance under the edge of said button, and in this position the first or index finger naturally comes over and presses down the knob F, and through the medium of the lever E raises the rod H so that its lower end, It, is raised above and clear of the anvil D, and the key is then operated in the usual manner.

At the end of the message or communication the button is released, and immediately the weight K restores the lever E to its normal position,whereby the rod H resumes contact with the anvil D, thus automatically closing the circuit, and the knob F is restored to its former place with respect to the button.

this description it will be seen that all danger of leaving the circuit open after the operator has finished is avoided.

Having thus fully described my invention,

From

whatI claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The combination, with a telegraph-key, of

5 the lever E, fuiorumed in the standard 6, se-v in presence of two witnesses.

cured to the upper side of the key proper, and ANDREW G, MONE AL. having one end provided with aknob, F, pro- Witnesses:

jeeting through the key-button, and the other F. E. HALLI DAY, end operating a vertical sliding rod, H, the JOE BARRETT.

with the recess d of the insulated anvil D, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature lower end, k, of which forms a sliding contact ro- 

